To Learn Something New
by Vianna Orchidia
Summary: With them, everyday is just another day of learning something new. (Rating and warning differ for each chapter, please be careful. / I don't own cover image.)
1. miracle

**Title: To Learn Something New**

Author: Vianna Orchidia / Annasthacy Chashyme  
Fandom: Final Fantasy XIII Series  
Character: Lightning Farron, Hope Estheim  
Rating: K  
Genre: General  
Disclaimer: I do not own the series and the characters, and I do not gain any profit from this fanfiction

Warning: set post-LR.

* * *

 **miracle** /mir·a·cle/ _n_ an unusual or wonderful event that is believed to be caused by the power of God

Little Hope Estheim did not believe in miracle. He stopped wishing upon Bodhum's fireworks at ten, when he saw the hopeful look on his mother's face as she prayed whole-heartedly. Hope always asked her what she wished for, and her answer would always be the same, year after year.

「That next year, you father could come with us.」

The fireworks did not work miracle.

.:.:.

As color splashed in the night sky, Hope glanced to the side, where a rose-haired woman stood relaxed, eyes locked with the fireworks their family lighted off. Her face was serene with just the faintest hint of smile. The gleam in her eyes made him choke a little, as that was the expression Nora Estheim wore during the last fireworks of Bodhum, with hands clasped together and heart wishing with the same sentence as the previous year and before and before.

Discreetly, Hope took her hand in his bigger ones. The little gesture turned the woman's attention at him, a slim eyebrow curved elegantly in silent question. He smiled weakly and asked her what she wished for.

「I don't need to wish. My miracle is already here.」

She was being modest, but Hope would agree with her all the same.

* * *

A/N:  
So this marks the beginning of a new drabble set I decided to do. The drabble set is taken from 50 Sentences Challenge in Infantrum (bless that old forum). This time I'm doing this for Hoperai. I just hope this doesn't mean I'll abandon the AmaAnge drabble set.  
Anyway, I wanted to make it clearer in the story but couldn't fit it in, so I didn't, but Hope agrees that his miracle is there because Bartholomew and Nora are also there to enjoy the fireworks. It's post-LR after all. The word family points to all the protagonist casts of FFXIII series plus Estheim family and NORA. I love the notion that they are one big family, heheh.


	2. yell

**Title: To Learn Something New**

Author: Vianna Orchidia / Annasthacy Chashyme  
Fandom: Final Fantasy XIII Series  
Character: Lightning Farron, Hope Estheim  
Rating: K+  
Genre: General  
Disclaimer: I do not own the series and the characters, and I do not gain any profit from this fanfiction

Warning: set post-LR.

* * *

 **yell** /yell/ _v_ to say (something) very loudly especially because you are angry, surprised, or are trying to get someone's attention

It was a slow day, with both of Hope and Lightning taking the day off and not so eager to go out due to the low temperature. It was surprising, actually, that it was not snowing yet with the temperature, but both of them figured it would soon, so they preferred cuddling in the warm haven of blankets to doing about anything else.

Hope was currently spooning Lightning, one arm slung lazily across her stomach and inside her tanktop to savor the warmth of her skin there while the other was between the crook of Lightning's neck and the bed, unmoving. Lightning spent her time absent-mindedly tracing the contour of his arms as his breath touched her hair softly. She could hear their heartbeats mixing together despite the slow music Hope had set up in the background. (He set it up whenever they got cozy because it was therapeutic or something and Lightning always retorted that the sound of their natural body functions were more relaxing. In the end they agreed to play the music with the smallest volume possible so that she can still listen to his breath too.)

"What time is it?" Hope groaned, trying hard not to fall asleep while enjoying the feel of her body pressed on his.

Lightning glanced at the alarm clock and shrugged. "A little before noon."

The silverette let out another groan as he turned her body around to take a good look of her face. She looked back sleepily. "As much as I love cuddling with you, Light, aren't you hungry? I think my stomach has been grumbling since thirty minutes ago," he pouted.

A snicker left her lips. "Yeah, it's kinda hard not to notice, but since you didn't say anything I didn't either."

"Right," clearly sulking (or the best he pretended to be), Hope let her go and stood up, wincing a little at the sudden exposure to slightly cooler air. "Come on, I'm famished."

"Right behind you, Hope." A sound of shuffling, and she corrected herself, "on second thought, I'll head to the washroom first."

Hope nodded. "Is canned tuna okay?"

"Sure."

"All right then." With that, Hope left for the kitchen. He fumbled around the cupboards in search for the said canned tuna (it's gotta be here, he remembered putting it here, like two months ago), then placed it on a stainless steel plate before heating it up on microwave. He found loaves of bread and decided it would be an appropriate lunch too, so he set them aside on plates as the tuna heated up. He prepared the food with small hums between his lips, a habit he somehow copied from Nora a while ago.

With his mind occupied and his ears listening to his hums, Hope did not notice footsteps approaching from behind. Not that Lightning's steps were loud. She tried to hide her presence as best as she could (and boy was she good) until she was just a few feet to Hope's back. Using a speed worthy of her namesake and power only a seasoned soldier could manage, she sprang forward—

—and tickled his side.

Hope, a ticklish man he was, could only yell ungracefully with tears forming in his eyes.

MISSION: ACCOMPLISED

* * *

A/N:

About the lunch menu? I don't have any idea if canned tuna with bread is normal or not, but giving them Indonesia-based menu would be even more awkward so yeah.


	3. heaven

**Title: To Learn Something New**

Author: Vianna Orchidia / Annasthacy Chashyme  
Fandom: Final Fantasy XIII Series  
Character: Lightning Farron, Hope Estheim  
Rating: K+  
Genre: General  
Disclaimer: I do not own the series and the characters, and I do not gain any profit from this fanfiction

Warning: set after the first game where FFXIII-2 never happens

* * *

 **heaven** /heav·en/ _n_ the place where God lives and where good people go after they die according to some religions; something that is very pleasant or good; the sky

Lightning stared long and silent at the twin tombs. Her eyes were watery on the edges, but she made no attempt to hide it from her silver-haired companion that day.

"Light- _san_ ," her partner approached carefully. "Are these...?"

"Yes." A beat of silence, and she elaborated further. "Just like every other grave, these are empty. The real ones are on Cocoon." And Cocoon was broken, just an empty shell supported by a pillar of crystal. It was already difficult to evacuate all living humans from Cocoon, they did not need to move all graves to Gran Pulse as well. Instead, people began to build tombs as memorial of their beloved who were fortunate enough not to experience the hell that was the fall of Cocoon.

Serah had mentioned about making one for their parents as soon as population settled down and the first tomb was made by someone just outside of New Bodhum, but Lightning kept refusing. Only after two years had passed did she realize that there was no point of avoiding the past. Making new, empty tombs for her parents did not equal having them back. Besides, she could not ignore the way Serah would stand on the seashore, staring far ahead sadly.

However, this was the first time Lightning ever visited the tombs after they were completed. It's been two years. She'd been busy, she said.

Perhaps she's still afraid.

But people spoke about heaven after death, about the place the dead went instead of perishing altogether. She wanted to believe about this heaven, to believe that her parents still exist somewhere and they're happy there, yet raising her head toward that future was so hard and _she's afraid_ —

"Light- _san_." The gentle touch on her shoulder awoke her from her reverie. She turned her head to Hope. He had grown as tall as her, but his eyes were still clear green and his smile was still kind. "Are you okay?"

Lightning took a deep breath. "Yeah."

He pulled her into a loose embrace, bending his neck so his lips were on her ear. "It's all right, Light- _san_. I'll protect you, so please... don't be afraid."

 _He reads me too well these days_ , the pinkette mused. But she didn't retort. She curled her arms around his neck instead, pulling him even closer until she could feel the soft movement of his chest as he inhaled. The sound of his breath on her ear calmed her. Yes, she's still afraid, but it didn't matter. She could start facing it head-on from now, with her partner watching her back.

* * *

A/N:

I have Hope call her Light-san (as in Japanese version) because when writing this, I kept hearing his Japanese version's voice in my head. Besides, I love how it shows better how polite he is when talking to her (or I'm just a sucker for anything remotely Japan-related, heheh)


	4. dreamer

**Title: To Learn Something New**

Author: Vianna Orchidia / Annasthacy Chashyme  
Fandom: Final Fantasy XIII Series  
Character: Lightning Farron, Hope Estheim, Serah Farron  
Rating: K  
Genre: General  
Disclaimer: I do not own the series and the characters, and I do not gain any profit from this fanfiction

Warning: set after FFXIII-2 and before LR.

* * *

 **dreamer** /dream·er/ _n_ a person whose ideas and plans are not practical or based in reality; a person who dreams while sleeping

Everything was bright, colorful, and if she looked a litle closer there would be specks of glittering light on almost everywhere on this universe. She recognized the landscape to be the Capital of Commerce, Palumpolum City. She had been here quite a few times, mainly to escort the transportation of goods from or to Bodhum—the last time she was here, though, was during the l'Cie mayhem. It didn't end very well, she recalled grimly, but looking at how the city was bustling with civilians told her that the city had found her glory back.

"Lightning!" A sweet voice called out to her from behind her back. Before she had time to turn around and see who it was, though, someone had their arms wrapped around her neck. A splash of pink came into the end of her peripheral vision. Lightning smiled slightly.

"Serah," she returned the greeting affectionately. "Are you okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be, duh!" the younger sister laughed heartily after dislodging herself from Lightning. She stepped beside her sister to take in the scenery spread out in front of them. "I'm glad I can still see you, Lightning," a murmur fell from her lips, so light it was blown by the passing wind but Lightning's keen ears managed to pick it.

Alerted, the soldier asked warily, "Serah, what do you mean?"

Serah seemed ready to cry albeit the smile she kept on her lips. "It's not meant to end like this," she voiced her concern. Out of Lightning's sight, the shimmering colors of Palumpolum started to dull into ashen grey. The younger Farron also changed, her white button-up shirt and red skirt replaced by a white battle gear she knew only too well. Lightning began to panic and tried to grasp for her sister, but her now armor-clad hand went right through her body. "You need to wake up now, Sis. The world can't wait any longer."

"Serah? No! Serah!"

Serah's invisible fingers caressed Lightning's cheek, softly brushing back the bangs covering her eyes. "Go and save Hope. He is the key, Lightning. Don't worry about me—I'll be right there with you when you open your eyes." The world around them had been fully reduced into ashes, and Lightning found it hard to breath. "So please, save _us_."

Everthing went pitch black after that. When she finally opened her eyes, there was hollowness inside her chest. She had just awoken from a crystal sleep... A sleep as dark as death.

The Savior had been born.

* * *

A/N:

I love their sisterly bond.


	5. teen

**Title: To Learn Something New**

Author: Vianna Orchidia / Annasthacy Chashyme  
Fandom: Final Fantasy XIII Series  
Character: Lightning Farron, Hope Estheim  
Rating: K  
Genre: General  
Disclaimer: I do not own the series and the characters, and I do not gain any profit from this fanfiction

Warning: AU

* * *

 **teen** /teen/ _n_ a teenage person

Lightning first noticed the teen one evening, just before the end of her shift, when she saw him walking sluggishly with a noticeable bruise over his face. He almost tripped over nothing and stumbled in front of her, so she shot her hand forward out of reflex to prevent the fall.

The boy thanked her afterwards with eyes that couldn't really meet hers. It irritated her.

"Did you get bullied?" she asked suddenly in a clipped tone and a hard gaze. She saw the boy almost shook at her blatant question, and he looked hesitant to provide an answer.

"I... fell."

"Don't give me that crap," Lightning quickly dismissed his excuse; a part of her berated herself for using vulgar language, but he should be at least fourteen and that's old enough to use the word 'crap'. "Anyone can tell those bruises aren't from a fall."

The boy thinned his lips and ran a hand on his silver tresses. "They gave me a beating because I got a perfect score while they didn't," he finally confessed. "Though I am not surprised; they are obviously not smart enough if they think punching me will lower my grades. I think using my brain, not my brawns, so unless they harm my brain they can't do a thing about it."

Well that was unexpected. Lightning had thought this boy would look defeated—teary eyes for a hurt ego or something. But here he was, getting all sassy about his bullies with an almost exasperated face.

"So you let them punch you?" she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Oh no, ma'am. Each of them have at least a broken nose. I have my trustworthy partner, after all," he grinned as he pulled out a boomerang from his bag. Eyeing the policewoman carefully, he added, "they allow me to bring this because it's a toy... well, until I threw it to the bullies."

By now Lightning was beyond amused. The way this teen talk was really different than any of his peers, and his eyes shone with intelligence and undivided determination; he was beautiful.

"All right, so you handled your bullies well. Now you just need to explain your bruises to your parents—and I'm sure your mom won't like the boomerang part, so good luck." Lightning smirked as the teen obviously panicked at the prospect of his angry mother.

"By the way, kid, what's your name?"

"I'm not a kid!" he instantly protested, but shut his mouth just as quickly because Lightning rolled her eyes exasperatedly, and answered, "Hope Estheim. I live two blocks from here, in Felix Height."

Lightning smiled. "All right Hope Estheim, you can call me Lightning. Now off you go."

* * *

A/N:

An attempt at Hope's sassiness. Clearly I'm not sassy enough to do his signature sassy comebacks justice.


	6. cat

**Title: To Learn Something New**

Author: Vianna Orchidia / Annasthacy Chashyme  
Fandom: Final Fantasy XIII Series  
Character: Lightning Farron, Hope Estheim  
Rating: K  
Genre: General  
Disclaimer: I do not own the series and the characters, and I do not gain any profit from this fanfiction

Warning: role-reversal AU, set after FFXIII-2 and before LR

* * *

 **Cat** /cat/ _n_ a small animal that is related to lions and tigers and that is often kept by people as a pet

A cat. A snow white, huge cat with other-worldly jade green eyes. It hopped onto Lightning's desk with four lean, powerful limbs, and began circling the whole surface of the desk. It would be kind of normal had its eyes not stared at her general direction all the while.

Besides, her office was like on the third story, among the innermost area of the Military Unit's headquarter. How in Pulse did that thing get inside, anyway?

A soft purr led her eyes back to the offending creature, now stretching comfortably right at the center of her desk, _on her bloody report_ , acting as innocent as a cat could muster. Lightning frowned at it but made no move to shoo it away.

There's something about the cat that caught her off guard. Perhaps it's the eyes. Jade eyes, almost _human_ , that were trained faithfully on her person. She could swear she knew those eyes. A long, long time ago... Maybe almost eight hundred years ago, when it all began with the Purge on Bodhum.

Lightning gasped. The albino cat just jumped off her desk, leaving her room with long strides. What was that about?

That was the first time. She realized the cat began to follow her, appearing all of a sudden in front of her only to leave a minute later. Sometimes she found it watching her curiously from the side but disappeared when she turned her head. It was watching with its jade eyes, menacingly so. Lightning knew it spelled trouble, but she still felt that overwhelming curiosity concerning the cat.

Only after a few years she understood where the color of those irises came from. A white-haired boy. l'Cie brand. Orange jacket and tosca scarf. It had been so long that she took a while to assemble the figure of a boy she once called partner.

The moment she realized, she was already trapped in the illusion of a cat, sometimes a boy, taking her far into the realms of God.

* * *

A/N:This one is based on "Hope got dragged into Valhalla instead of Lightning" what-if. The white cat is supposed to be Hope's counterpart of rose-haired phantom.


	7. undo

**Title: To Learn Something New**

Author: Vianna Orchidia / Annasthacy Chashyme  
Fandom: Final Fantasy XIII Series  
Character: Lightning Farron, Hope Estheim  
Rating: K+  
Genre: General  
Disclaimer: I do not own the series and the characters, and I do not gain any profit from this fanfiction

Warning: set after the first game where FFXIII-2 never happen. AR where Serah didn't come back. a little ooc?

* * *

 **Undo** /un·do/ _v_ to open or release (something); to unfasten or loosen (something); to change or stop the effect of (something)

She was the epitome of straightforwardness, strength and faith, he thought. She was amazing, gorgeous, almost a goddess, and he practically put her on a pedestal. He could even see himself getting on his knees and kiss her toes.

But as he watched the trails of tears on her cheeks, Hope felt that pedestal broke down and her ideal figure faded away.

"I'm not a goddess, Hope, not even close." He heard her fears that day. "I am lost. I don't even know where I want to be. My only anchor in this life is gone, because of my fault, and the only atonement I can give is through death. Will you let me die, Hope?"

He did not understand. Why must she ask for his permission? If she wanted to die, she just needed to die. He wouldn't be so selfish as to keep her alive when her soul was already dying. He would mourn, cry perhaps, but he would let her go.

She must've seen his confused expression, for she smiled weakly now. "Sorry, that came out of nowhere. It's just... I really don't know where I want to be. I don't know if I really want to cross the river. I need someone to pick for me." Her eyes got even more distant when she continued in a broken whisper. "Besides, I'm done picking for myself. My choices always end in things getting worse, Hope. I'm done making mistakes."

At that moment, she sounded just as that: done with everything in her life. She's right there, in front of him, but he already mourned for her.

At that moment, he wanted nothing more the ability to turn back time, to undo the mistakes she did, to undo the tears she shed, to undo the pain that killed her.

At that moment, he cried with his broken goddess.

* * *

A/N:

AR where Serah died/still in crystal stasis after the first game.


	8. Tokyo

**Title: To Learn Something New**

Author: Vianna Orchidia / Annasthacy Chashyme  
Fandom: Final Fantasy XIII Series  
Character: Lightning Farron, Hope Estheim  
Rating: K+  
Genre: General  
Disclaimer: I do not own the series and the characters, and I do not gain any profit from this fanfiction

Warning: set post-LR

* * *

 **Tokyo** /To·kyo/ _geographical name_ city ∗ of Japan in SE Honshu on **Tokyo Bay** (inlet of the Pacific)

"What is this city called again?"

Hope chuckled as he laced his hand with Lightning's. "It's Tokyo. You should try harder to remember places' names in this world, you know. It will come in handy."

"You know I can't help it. I'm just naturally bad at it," Lightning frowned in disdain, but didn't try to take her hand back. Instead, she squeezed his ever so slightly, showing the smile her lips kept hidden.

They resumed walking, taking in the night scenery of one of the busiest city on the world. They had taken a train from the nearest station from Hope's hotel to Shinjuku, and was greeted by an ocean of people. Since both of them were not exactly people persons, they decided to steer away from the crowded part of the city and took another train to the tranquil Ueda Park.

"It's our last night in Tokyo, huh." Watching cars pass by on the main road, Lightning wondered aloud. "This city is beautiful."

"We have been here for a week since my seminar ended. We still have work back in France, right?" her partner reasoned calmly. He liked the city too, but they always had another time. It is the new, safe world after all. They had all the time they wanted. "We can come back here some time."

Light's lips curved upward. "I want to visit other countries too. I've only traveled around Europe before meeting you." She traveled while he started teaching in a university. Hope had seen the photos she took but still, he wanted to go in person. If possible, with Lightning too.

"Where do you want to go?"

She gave him a peck on the lips which he happily returned. "Anywhere you take me, Hope. As long as we're together."

Keeping her face close, Hope breathed out, "We're together."

* * *

A/N:

So I completely forgot what that park in front of Tokyo Imperial Castle is called, but the internet let me down and I couldn't do any research. I think it's Ueda Kouen but if I'm mistaken do forgive me and tell me the correct one :"")


	9. smile

**Title: To Learn Something New**

Author: Vianna Orchidia / Annasthacy Chashyme  
Fandom: Final Fantasy XIII Series  
Character: Lightning Farron, Hope Estheim  
Rating: K+  
Genre: General  
Disclaimer: I do not own the series and the characters, and I do not gain any profit from this fanfiction

Warning: AU; Hope and Claire are married.

* * *

 **smile** /smile/ _n_ an expression on your face that makes the corners of your mouth turn up and that shows happiness, amusement, pleasure, affection, etc.

"There's nothing wrong with her. Nerves, muscles, everything is normal. I can only assume her current disorder is caused by psychological reasons." The grey-haired doctor gave him a look of sympathy. "I suggest you take her to a psychiatrist. He will know what to do, more than me for that matter."

Hope Estheim sighed before nodding in gratitude to the elderly doctor. "I understand. Thank you, doctor."

"Oh, Mr. Estheim?" He called out, halting the young man from gathering his things.

"Yes?"

"I know I don't specialize in this field, but I can tell this much: take it slow with her. Many of psychological disorders stem from stress and depression. And don't forget to take care of your health too. Your wife won't like you exhausting yourself because of her, will she?"

A tired smile tugged at Hope's lips as he bowed before leaving the room. "Thank you, Doctor."

It had been barely a week, and just as the doctor said, he was starting to get exhausted. Claire's illness made her prone to sleepiness, her appetite diminished, and most of all, it made her weak. She hated being weak, so she got a little frustrated at herself too. Taking care of her was quite a hassle.

"Hope," a thin woman called him from the waiting room when he stepped out of the doctor's room. "How was it?"

Unable to tell her the truth, not to mention she was not even aware of her own condition, Hope merely smiled and put his arm on her waist. "Just a little stress. You need to rest more."

"I have rested enough," she refused quickly, her tone irritated but her face remained blank.

"Well, apparently the doctor doesn't think so," he chuckled as he led her outside, to their car. With her unchanging blank face he couldn't guess what her current mood was, but he decided to play safe and appeal on her good side. "There's still time before dinner; do you want to go to that park and grab a quick ice cream?"

Claire let out a sound that was almost like a laugh. "You know how to please your wife, Hope Estheim."

The teasing edge in her voice calmed him and he exhaled through his mouth. He could even picture the small smile, or cunning smirk if she felt being playful, that would certainly be on her face under normal circumstances. Hope tried to keep sorrow from showing on his features. "Alright, ice cream then."

Dealing with this disorder might be harder than he initially thought.

* * *

A/N:

The disorder mentioned above is modeled from Miho Obana's Kodomo no Omocha (Child's Play). If you know the series, then you know how Sana stopped making facial expressions. By the way, I call her Claire here, to emphasize the normal life of this AU.


	10. cherry

**Title: To Learn Something New**

Author: Vianna Orchidia / Annasthacy Chashyme  
Fandom: Final Fantasy XIII Series  
Character: Lightning Farron, Hope Estheim  
Rating: K+  
Genre: General  
Disclaimer: I do not own the series and the characters, and I do not gain any profit from this fanfiction

Warning: set post-LR, happily married yay

* * *

 **cherry** /cher·ry/ _n_ a small round fruit that is usually red or black

Sapphire eyes narrowed at a plate of cake lying innocently on the table.

"What. Is. This."

"Oh, Lightning! You came home early. Did something happen at work?" A silverette came out from the kitchen, donning a creme apron she didn't remember having, and pulled her into an embrace. He kissed her lips lightly, then pulled away.

"No, I just finished my work earlier than expected and the boss let me go home." Lightning crossed her arms. "What about you? Shouldn't you be at work too?"

Hope glanced at the cake sheepishly. "I took the day off."

"You what?" astonished, Lightning raised her voice. The workaholic Hope Estheim took the day off? And without telling her, to top! Had the world gone mad or some kind of insane God appeared last night?

But Hope only gave her a calm, somewhat shy smile. "It's your birthday. I wanted to make a cake for you, so..." He trailed off, measuring his wife's reaction. It wasn't so bad; she widened her eyes for a moment before returning to normal, muttering a small "oh, it's my birthday already?" under her breath. Hope's smile got bigger. "Come on. I'm not the best, but I think the cake turned out fine. It's shortcake."

True enough, when Lightning further inspected the cake, it wasn't half bad. But there seemed to be something off about this cake...

"Um, Hope? I thought basic shortcakes are strawberry. Why is this... cherry?"

He played with his fingers. "I kind of took the wrong canned fruit at the supermarket, so I just had to with it...?"

That was clumsy. So _her_ Hope. The woman chuckled into her hand. She took the knife from him and proceeded to cut the cake evenly. "I don't hate cherry," she assured him softly. "Let's just hope the different fruit didn't change the flavor."

"Yeah, let us," Hope laughed as he helped her putting a piece of cake each on two plates. "Happy birthday, Light."

"Thanks."


	11. jam

**Title: To Learn Something New**

Author: Vianna Orchidia / Annasthacy Chashyme  
Fandom: Final Fantasy XIII Series  
Character: Lightning Farron, Hope Estheim  
Rating: K+  
Genre: General  
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy XIII is property to Square Enix. I do not own the series and the characters, and I do not gain any profit from this fanfiction

Warning: AU

* * *

 **jam** /jam/ _v_ to fill (something, such as a door or a road) so that movement is slow or stopped; to press or push (an object) into a tight place

"Hmm, I think your engine is jammed somewhere. You need to take it to the garage."

Lightning rubbed her temple and sighed deeply. She needed to get to Bodhum before it got dark, but with her vehicle malfunctioning like this, her plans were as good as busted. Not to mention the breakdown happened on a relatively deserted road where hardly any people passed by. She was lucky this silver-haired young man saw her unmoving vehicle from the diner about half a mile from there and decided to come and help.

"Do you know where the closest garage is?" she asked, trying to be polite despite the distressed voice she couldn't control.

"A little farther than the diner I work at, I'm afraid." He looked genuinely sympathetic at her circumstances. "Look, I can help pushing your vehicle to the garage. With the two of us, maybe we can reach it before it's getting late."

Lightning was surprised at the offer, not to mention the gentle and sincere way he said it. Such a kind person was rare nowadays. "No, no, I can't trouble you any more than this. I'm already indebted enough with you coming all the way here."

"It's fine, really," he brushed her off with a grin, and started pushing the vehicle. "Come on, after sundown this area gets really dark. We need to move."

Realizing the young man wasn't going to back off at all, Lightning hurriedly joined him and began pushing as well. She felt really bad, letting this man doing so much for her even though she's just a stranger.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly.

"Don't sweat it, miss. I need to get back to the diner too anyway, and it's the same direction, so this is killing two birds with one stone."

His smile was dazzling, and Lightning felt strangely calmer after seeing it. It's a smile which told her that he's got everything under control, that the world could rely on him. It was intriguing, because he looked a little younger than her, yet he had this air of wisdom she didn't understand. Lightning took a deep breath. "Lightning."

"...pardon?"

"My name. It's Lightning." The woman shook her head at his bewildered face, and added, "I know it's a weird name, but it means a lot to me."

He looked almost embarassed. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to... Lightning. It's a beautiful name, I think." He gave her another sheepish smile. "I'm Hope."

"Hope, huh?" she raised an eyebrow. "That's not less weird than mine."

Hope laughed. "I know, right?"

"Then, Hope..." Lightning smiled lightly at him, mildly amused at his awe-struck face and slightly gaping mouth. "Thanks for the help. I owe you one."

* * *

 **A/N:** Hope is hopeless when it comes to Lightning


	12. way

**Title: To Learn Something New**

Author: Vianna Orchidia / Annasthacy Chashyme  
Fandom: Final Fantasy XIII Series  
Character: Lightning Farron, Hope Estheim  
Rating: K+  
Genre: General  
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy XIII is property to Square Enix. I do not own the series and the characters, and I do not gain any profit from this fanfiction

Warning: see A/N below

* * *

 **way** /way/ _n_ a method or system that can be used to do something

Hope sighed tiredly as he flopped down on his bed, still fully clothed except for the boots he left haphazardly on the living room. With one arm covering his eyes, he contemplated at the series of events that took place today—it all started with Lightning and ended with Lightning.

Groaning out of frustration, Hope flung a pillow across the room until it hit the guiltless closet door. He half-wished the closet would break down. Or maybe he should have thrown it to the mirror, just to see if it would shatter under the contact. At the time, Hope just wanted to break something, to rip apart something, or any other kind of violence to channel his anger.

"Is there really no way to make her understand?" he yelled to the hollow darkness. Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes, which he quickly rubbed away, but more came so he rubbed and rubbed until his eyes got red. Hope took a shaky breath, trying hard but futilely to contain his emotions. " _Etro_ ," he cursed.

Lightning was being irrational. Hope was being irrational. When they clashed, all hell broke loose. He had left the heated argument rather childishly, with an indignant yell and loud steps, while Lightning angrily threatened him to stay. He of course refused to listen and instead locked himself away in his apartment. Anger still filled him to the brim, and he was having a hard time stopping himself from smashing his fist on the wall.

"If only I could make her understand...!"

* * *

A/N: honestly I don't even know what's going on, I just want to see someone act out in frustration in my stead, so yes I'm sorry if Hope is ooc here


	13. season

**Title: To Learn Something New**

Author: Vianna Orchidia / Annasthacy Chashyme  
Fandom: Final Fantasy XIII Series  
Character: Lightning Farron, Hope Estheim  
Rating: K+  
Genre: General  
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy XIII is property to Square Enix. I do not own the series and the characters, and I do not gain any profit from this fanfiction

Warning: I'm not sure, but maybe AU, or somewhere after FFXIII-2

* * *

 **season** /sea·son/ _n_ a time characterized by a particular circumstance or feature

Hope and Lightning were having the staring contest of the year. Or rather, glaring contest by the looks of it. Serah, the sweet innocent poor girl she was, could only watch fearfully from the sidelines lest they decide to take things further, physically. Nah. The second Lightning or Hope moved a limb, she'd better run for her life. Getting caught between the hell that was Hope-and-Lightning-style lovers quarrel didn't sound enticing at all.

"Light. Summer is obviously the best time to hold a garden party. We can stay out until late and need not to worry about the weather," the silver-haired young man tried to voice his reasons once more.

The female soldier countered him with a sharp glare. "Hope, you definitely haven't been in this area for long. The beaches would be too hot, and there are a lot of sudden showers during summer too. And don't you dare tell me otherwise because I know New Bodhum like the back of my hand."

"Fine, but _winter_? Do you want to let the guests freeze to death?"

" _Early_ winter, Hope. It won't be as cold. I know from experience that early winter in New Bodhum is very mild, and the plantations there are in their peak of beauty."

Hope was not convinced. "It's still winter, and still cold. I don't want to risk _you_ getting flu. No."

Exasperated, Lightning rubbed her temple furiously. "I won't, dammit, Hope. Being pregnant doesn't make me less tolerant to cold."

"Maybe now it doesn't, but who knows when you get over six months? No. Besides, you see, if we hold the wedding in summer, the child would've been born and you don't have to move awkwardly, right?"

"Did you mean I am awkward with my pregnant body?"

With Lightning's voice rising an octave, Serah decided to just bail out _right now_. Only Hope had the uncanny ability to calm her down when she got aggravated like this. (The fact that it was Hope that made her aggravated made things complicated, though. Serah prayed for his well-being sincerely.)


	14. wing

**Title: To Learn Something New**

Author: Vianna Orchidia / Annasthacy Chashyme  
Fandom: Final Fantasy XIII Series  
Character: Lightning Farron, Hope Estheim  
Rating: K+  
Genre: General  
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy XIII is property to Square Enix. I do not own the series and the characters, and I do not gain any profit from this fanfiction

Warning: AU

* * *

 **wing** /wing/ _n_ a part of an animal's body that is used for flying or gliding

Hope touched Lightning's wings gingerly. He made sure not to worry around the part that was covered by bandages, not wanting to cause pain to the female angel. He kept looking over the whole appendages, as if searching for another wounded spot that somehow had escaped his scrutiny. "How are you feeling?" he asked quietly.

"Better," she replied curtly. "You know you're the best medic here."

"Still can't be too sure." This time his fingers glided softly along her wings, no longer acting as a medic but rather a lover's caress. Hope let his hands stroke the base of her wings, then up to her shoulders, and twirled some locks of pale pink hair. "Please forgive me," solemnly, almost heart-wrenchingly, a murmur fell from his quivering lips.

"For what?"

His pair of green eyes met her gentle blue ones before he looked away in shame. She tried to grasp his hand, to link their fingers, but he refused. "For not being able to protect you. I... I only know how to heal wounds; I can't even go down there, to the great battle. I'm... so weak."

"Look, Hope," the warrior angel put her hand on his shoulder. "It's enough. I don't want protection, not from you, not from anyone. I'm not one to be protected, Hope. What I want, what I _need_ , is someone to pick up the pieces for me. And you've been doing nothing but great at that." She paused for a moment then scoffed, annoyed at his self-depreciation tendencies. "You're not weak, Hope. You never are."


	15. truth

**Title: To Learn Something New**

Author: Vianna Orchidia / Annasthacy Chashyme  
Fandom: Final Fantasy XIII Series  
Character: Lightning Farron, Hope Estheim  
Rating: K+  
Genre: General  
Disclaimer: I do not own the series and the characters, and I do not gain any profit from this fanfiction

Warning: AU of The Little Mermaid

* * *

 **truth** /truth/ _n_ the real facts about something; a statement or idea that is true of accepted as true

Jade eyes widened, disbelief coursed right through them in mighty currents, rendering the owner speechless. Hope Estheim, heir to one of the wealthiest family in Luxerion, had just witnessed the sickest joke of the year.

"A... siren..." he mumbled, still unable to comprehend the truth offered to him. The rose-haired woman he saved at the beach a few weeks ago, the beautiful and strong Claire Farron, was in truth a mythical creature, present to avenge her sister's death and kill his cousin? It was too much to take at once. Hope was sure his ears were fuming.

"To believe or not to believe, the choice is yours to make," Claire spoke in a deadly calm manner. She noticed the way her patron flinched uncomfortably under her harsh gaze. "But whatever your choice is, you will not stop me from my objective. Your cousin, Snow Villiers, will die tonight at my hands."

The female gave him one last glance before reaching for the dagger on the floor. She inspected it for a moment, making sure nothing was out of place after it was thrown away during their earlier brawl, then placed it securely in the strap under her gown. "Your hospitality has been most helpful. I thank you sincerely," she whispered in a softer voice and a little gentler eyes, though the fierce fire in those blue orbs still flared strongly. She was going to open the door and left when Hope grasped her wrist, effectively halting her movements.

Watching his fingers as they squeezed her wrist, Claire clicked her tongue."...what is it?"

"What does it mean?" his tone was so like a lost child that it would have made her laugh if his eyes were not so despaired. "What do you mean, Claire?"

"Isn't it obvious? I'll return to the sea after my focus is completed."

He looked like she had just gutted him to death. "You're leaving," he repeated, a defeated look on his face. His grip on her wrist loosened. For half a second, Claire wanted to pull him into her arms and kiss him apologetically, but perhaps it was just a wishful thinking on her part. She knew only too well not to bond with humans. Not to fall in love with humans. Her sister's demise had taught her as much.

Claire shook his hand off.

"Just forget me and you'll be fine, Hope."


	16. help

**Title: To Learn Something New**

Author: Vianna Orchidia / Annasthacy Chashyme  
Fandom: Final Fantasy XIII Series  
Character: Lightning Farron, Hope Estheim  
Rating: K+  
Genre: General  
Disclaimer: I do not own the series and the characters, and I do not gain any profit from this fanfiction

Warning: genderswap AU with male!Lightning and fem!Hope. The setting is post-LR.

* * *

 **help** /help/ _v_ to do something that makes it easier for someone to do a job, to deal with a problem, etc

A young silver-haired woman tried her best to reach the back zipper of her dress, but after a minute of flailing around, she finally gave up. Holding the dress to her lithe body so that it wouldn't slip down as she moved about, she opened the bathroom door and peeked outside. When her eyes found the one she was looking for, she smiled softly.

"Light? A little help, please?" she called out to a pink-haired male who just finished buttoning the cuffs of his suit.

"What's wrong?"

Hope Estheim opened the bathroom door further to reveal the state of her dress. "I can't reach the zipper," she said, giving the taller man a sheepish grin.

Lightning raised his eyebrow before shaking his head and proceeded to enter the bathroom. "Maybe you shouldn't have chosen such an elaborate dress," he commented as his fingers deftly zipped the dress. Hope did not miss the way his fingers ghosted along her skin on the process though, and she shuddered lightly because she could never get used to his touches.

"Well, I'm sorry for not being able to reach the zipper at twenty-seven, but elaborate dresses sure come in handy in the visual aspects," she quipped with a laugh. "Admit it, you like this dress on me."

At her remark, Lightning merely gave her forehead his trademark flick. His lips curved into a sultry smile. "Yeah, and I'm looking forward to helping you unzip it later, Hope."

Red blossomed on Hope's pale cheeks, which she quickly tried to cover with another laugh. "I'm counting on you."

Smirking, the soldier checked his own reflection on the mirror. "Good. Now get ready or we'll be late." He stepped away, but before completely exiting the bathroom, he said over his shoulder to the silverette who was busy applying final touches of make up to her face.

"By the way, you look gorgeous."

* * *

A/N: Soooo yeah. I've had this genderswap headcanon for _forever_ and I'm glad I could finally put it into words! I don't know if I did them justice, but yeah I tried.


	17. collection

**Title: To Learn Something New**

Author: Vianna Orchidia / Annasthacy Chashyme  
Fandom: Final Fantasy XIII Series  
Character: Lightning Farron, Hope Estheim, Serah Farron  
Rating: K+  
Genre: General  
Disclaimer: I do not own the series and the characters, and I do not gain any profit from this fanfiction

Warning: set before FFXIII-2. Genderswap (male!Lightning and fem!Hope)

* * *

 **collection** /col·lec·tion/ _n_ the act or process of getting things from different places and bringing them together

"And this is taken during my high-school's entrance ceremony."

Hope looked closely at the photograph Serah was pointing at. Young Serah was the same as always, all smiles and her trademark side ponytail was also there. Meanwhile, young Lightning looked... well, young. He wore a simple white shirt and brown pants, and his gesture was much more relaxed than the Lightning Hope knew.

"He had just entered the Guardian Corps, so I guess the soldier figure has not attached itself to him yet," the younger Farron explained further, chuckling at the end of her sentence. After that, she moved her fingers to flip another page of the photo album. However, the next few pages held significantly less photos which raised question to Hope, as perceptive that girl was.

"There's so few after high-school," the silverette commented quietly.

Serah hummed thoughtfully. "I rarely see him with all the trainings and missions he had to do. That's why I always forced him to take a day off for his or my birthday."

Laughing lightly, Hope said, "Mom used to do it too; you know my dad was always busy with work. The success ratio was near zero though, he never made it to my birthday party. That's why I really hated him."

"It's a good thing you managed to fix things between you and your father, Hope."

"Yeah," she nodded. The conversation died at that point, because Hope seemed to be deep in thought and reminiscence as she traced the figure of Lightning in those photos while Serah decided to let her be. Discreetly the pinkette searched for something in the young girl's eyes, then smiled softly when she saw it.

"Do you want to keep that photo album?" Serah suddenly asked.

Startled, Hope stammered for answer. She couldn't deny the happiness when Serah said it, but taking this precious family photo album would be too cruel. Hope was not the only one missing Lightning's presence. No, more than anyone, it was Serah, his only family. That's why she could not steal this treasure away from the younger Farron. "I... I can't. This belongs to you, Serah."

Serah shook her head with a smile. "It's okay, Hope."

"No, Serah. I really appreciate it, but I can't."

Serah knew nothing would budge the girl once she's said no, so instead she peeled a photo from the album and offered it to Hope. "Then at least take this. I know you miss him too. It's not much, but I hope this would help. One way or another."

Hope was left speechless at that. She could not explain the gratitude she felt deep in her heart as she took the photograph from Serah's hand. It was a more recent photo of Lightning, presumably when he was just promoted to a sergeant because he was standing alone and proud in his uniform. He looked exactly the same as Hope remembered him. She could feel tears beginning to well in her eyes.

"Thank you, Serah," she mumbled, trying hard to stop the tears, pressing the photo to her chest. "I really, really mean it."

* * *

A/N: Serah definitely saw how much Lightning meant to Hope. I honestly think that fem!Hope would make very close friends with Serah after he disappeared. Which makes Hope's loss even greater after Serah left with Noel. Oh the feels.

On the side note, I feel like losing my edge in writing. I'm still trying hard to keep writing and keep the rust away.


	18. lie

**Title: To Learn Something New**

Author: Vianna Orchidia / Annasthacy Chashyme  
Fandom: Final Fantasy XIII Series  
Character: Lightning Farron, Hope Estheim  
Rating: K+  
Genre: General  
Disclaimer: I do not own the series and the characters, and I do not gain any profit from this fanfiction

Warning: set during FFXIII-2. Genderswap (male!Lightning, fem!Hope, male!Alyssa)

* * *

 **lie** /lie/ _n_ an assertion of something known or believed by the speaker to be untrue with intent to deceive

 _"_ _You understand why I wanted to show you the Oracle Drive?"_

 _"_ _I think I do. You've been looking for Lightning, too, all this time."_

 _-Hope and Serah, FFXIII-2 in Yaschas Massif, 10AF-_

After Serah and Noel left, Hope daintily closed the lid of the Oracle Drive's storage case. Her face was facing downward and her features were somehow clouded in sorrow. Her sudden silence did not go unnoticed to her assistant, Erick Zaidelle, who crossed his arms in deep curiosity.

"Directress?"

"Yes, Erick?" Hope answered without missing a beat, proving to be in full focus despite her aloof attitude.

"This Lightning person in the Oracle Drive... So he is Serah's brother?"

"Yes." The young woman turned to face her assistant. "Ten years ago, I traveled with him as fellow l'Cie. When he disappeared at the end of our journey, we instantly assumed that he was inside the pillar with Fang and Vanille. Who knew it was a paradox..." she trailed off, eyes no longer focusing on her companion but rather to the nothingness. She still remembered that journey vividly like it happened yesterday. The pain still felt new as well.

"You two look close." At this suspicious remark Hope blinked and stared dumbfound at him. "I mean, you work so hard for him, you also reacted strongly when we first saw the recordings..."

"He's a dear friend," the Directress promptly cut him off. "I want to save him, just like I want to save Fang and Vanille. That's all, Erick." She shot him a quick, polite smile before taking off to her office with a whip of her silvery ponytail. She left the conversation so smoothly that it never gave Erick any chance to second guess at her honesty.

Well, that little lie wouldn't hurt anyone.

* * *

A/N: Yeah Hope, like he's ever gonna be 'just friend'. Ain't fooling anyone.

I doubted myself whether to keep Alyssa as a female or not. But well, the way she throw herself at Hope was so trademark-ish that I just had to keep it that way. Now she becomes Erick Zaidelle who always tries to court the Directress but to no avail lol.


	19. brother

**Title: To Learn Something New**

Author: Vianna Orchidia / Annasthacy Chashyme  
Fandom: Final Fantasy XIII Series  
Character: Lightning Farron, Hope Estheim, Serah Farron  
Rating: K+  
Genre: General  
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy XIII is property of Square Enix. I do not own the series and the characters, and I do not gain any profit from this fanfiction

Warning: AU glorious AU. See more A/N below.

* * *

 **brother** /bro·ther/ _n_ a boy or man who has one or both of the same parents as you

"Claire, Serah, this is Hope. He's going to live with us from now on, so be good okay?"

It was Sunday, a chilly winter morning with just enough foreshadows of oncoming snowfall. Young Claire Farron stared minutely at the little boy, marveling at his pretty platinum hair and timid eyes. He seemed scared—hiding half of his face in a green scarf and standing a little behind her mother's legs. The fifteen-years-old girl wondered if her hard gaze and straight lips made him even more scared, since she'd heard enough of boys getting terrified simply at her presence. Well, she felt bad for this Hope. Hopefully Serah, the more cheerful of the two sisters, would be able to make him feel welcomed.

Just as Claire had predicted, Serah quickly took matters into hands, quite literally, as she grabbed the boy's hand and shook it vigorously. "Hello, Hope! I'm Serah, and this is my sister Claire. Welcome to the family!" she chimed. Her bright smile dimmed a little when she continued, "I'm very sorry to hear about your parents... But I hope you'll find happiness in this family too."

Sure, Claire and Serah had heard about their new brother-to-be before. Their parents had made them sit together on the couch, talking and delivering the news as softly as they could, and asked them if they minded having another sibling in the house. Hope Estheim's parents were killed in an unfortunate plane crash and apparently the Farrons were his only distant, _very distant_ relative so they had decided to take care of the poor child. It went without saying that the sisters agreed immediately.

About two days after they voiced their consent, the Farron parents brought home a series of documents necessary for taking the rights to be Hope's guardian. They said the boy insisted on keeping his family name, so they were just going to foster him rather than adopting him. Mr Farron showed his girls the photograph of said boy, which Claire and Serah took eagerly. Serah squealed at how _cute_ he was and Claire smiled at the pure, crystal-clear green eyes. Both of them already felt a fondness over the seven-years-old at that moment.

After spending a month in the Farron household, as the youngest member of the family, Hope found himself getting pampered and almost spoiled on a daily basis. Mr and Mrs Farron were generally a little too nice and caring to their children while Serah had obviously taken an extreme liking to the boy.

Only Claire didn't show any special attention to him. She yelled at him for leaving dirty laundry on the floor and scolded him severely for skipping meals. She never smiled much. Truthfully, she scared Hope out of his wits. But as time went on, Hope finally understood that Claire was never a cold person.

When one day Hope got home with a bad test result in hands, Serah hugged him and told him to never mind he could try again at the next test. Claire glanced at his test, then turned back to him and said in a hard voice, " I know you can do better than this." That was all she said, but it gave him strength more than Serah's consoling hugs. She said it not in a reprimanding voice, but a strong, faithful sentence that instantly made Hope believed that yes, he could do better because it had been in him all along.

He became the best in all of his classes after that. The proud smile Claire gave him was more than enough reward.

Just like this the happy family spent their everyday. Sometimes they went on a trip to Eden to see the capital or to Palumpolum where Hope's parents were buried. Claire graduated from high-school and entered the Guardian Corps at seventeen, leaving the house for extensive military training. The Farrons let her go with great reluctance. Hope waved her goodbye with a big smile, shouting, "I know you can do better!"

Four years later, fourteen-years-old Hope found a rose-haired woman in military suit standing in the living room, looking relaxed as she inspected the rows of photographs one by one. "Claire?" he called out, a little disbelief tainting his tone. Ever since joining the military, Claire's visit to home was few and far in between, and she had always called in advance. Coming home in surprise like this was new.

The woman turned around, a small smile on her face, and crossed her arms. "Hope. I see you won another science competition." So she must have noticed the new trophy. Hope couldn't stop the blush rising to his cheeks. Somehow this Claire felt different to him. She's still the same face, the same voice, the same smile—but all of a sudden she was a _woman_. Not the person who used to be his almost-sister. It may be the teenage hormones, but for the first time in seven years, Hope found this Claire very attractive. It didn't help that her uniform consisted of a sleeveless coat and a mini-skirt which showed a lot of skin, much to Hope's chagrin.

"Sis? Is that you?"

A new voice came as the only warning before another young woman threw herself on Claire. Serah, now a university student, hugged her older sister tightly with a laugh. "Oh Claire, look at you! You're a sergeant now, aren't you? You're so amazing!" Serah said after releasing Claire from her death hug.

"I missed you too, Serah."

At that remark, Serah and Hope laughed in unison.

"Too bad Mom and Dad won't be home until tomorrow. But oh well. Come on, you two. We need to have a looong chat and I'm not doing it without cakes." The younger sister pulled her siblings by the arms into the kitchen. "We're lucky I just baked one yesterday. I think we still have some leftover. Hope, take out the plates and forks, please?"

"Sure, Serah."

"And Sis, you sit down on that chair and start talking."

Claire widened her eyes. "What? Why? What am I supposed to talk about?" Hope was sure she had a pout on her face.

"I don't know, maybe about your missions, your everyday job at the Corps... Anything we might've missed since your last visit, which was a year-and-half ago, if you forget."

Now Claire was rolling her eyes and Hope was chuckling. It was going to be a long chat indeed.

Later that night, once again Hope found the oldest Farron looking at the pictures in the living room. He quietly watched from behind, his eyes unconsciously trailed the curves of her body as he did so, though he quickly reprimanded himself for such a vulgar action.

"I've missed so much," Claire spoke suddenly, clearly aware of his presence. Hope almost stuttered an apology until he held himself together, telling himself that she didn't need to know he was checking her out. "Serah's graduation, your victory at that competition, Mom and Dad's anniversary..."

"Everything comes at a price." Hope approached her, not very close but apparently still close enough to take in the scent of her soap. He steeled his mind. "But with it comes great rewards too. Right?"

She nodded. _Even this boy had grown so much_ , she thought fondly.

"Um, Claire?" He smiled nervously. "You... I see you still keep that necklace."

Both of them watched intently as she raised the lightning bolt pendant from her cleavage. It had been a birthday present from Hope, a very particular shape that was chosen because she had told him about her nickname in the military: 'Lightning'. She always wore it even in her sleep. It reminded her of home.

"It's a charm, I guess." Claire tilted her head a little, eyes closed. "I didn't tell you and Serah, but... there were harder missions, darker times in the Guardian Corps. During those times, if I had this necklace I would remember home. I would remember you."

With her eyes closed, she could not see the furious blush and agape mouth that was Hope. "M-me...?"

She smiled. "Yeah, you. I would remember hope."

Right at that moment, Hope knew he was doomed by this rose-haired woman, an almost-sister suddenly turned into crush.

* * *

A/N: I should have stopped at "The proud smile Claire gave him was more than enough reward" but ha I'm not satisfied when there's not enough non-platonic love between them.


	20. caramel

**Title: To Learn Something New**

Author: Vianna Orchidia / Annasthacy Chashyme  
Fandom: Final Fantasy XIII Series  
Character: Lightning Farron, Hope Estheim  
Rating: K+  
Genre: General  
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy XIII is property of Square Enix. I do not own the series and the characters, and I do not gain any profit from this fanfiction

Warning: set during LR

* * *

 **caramel** /car·a·mel/ _n_ a light brown candy made from butter, sugar, and milk or cream; sugar that is cooked until it is burnt and that is used to give color and flavor to food

There was a new pattern Lightning found herself going in. Running around Nova Chrysalia, helping people and collecting their Eradia, finding some sense in this Chaos-filled world, and ultimately returning to the Ark at 6 a.m sharp were the grand patterns and she's having no question about it. No, she meant a small, mainly insignificant pattern that was picked up unintentionally one day as she got teleported back to the Ark after helping a small girl in Yusnaan.

This little girl gave her several caramels as thanks after locating her long-lost precious family album. Lightning remembered having quite a sweet tooth so naturally this made her very happy, perhaps, but currently she's in no condition to feel anything. So she just smiled a little and patted the girl's head before heading off.

Lightning pocketed the caramels for all day after that, taking only one during a train ride and forgot about the rest as she tackled her way across the Dead Dunes. Only when she floated in Historia Crux and heard a small rustling sound from her pocket did she remember about the confections. There were still a few. She didn't think she would be able to eat all of them right away so maybe they were going to stay in her pocket for some time more.

That was until she materialized at the spacious, white room of the Ark and heard the usual greeting from the boy with equally white hair.

"Welcome back, Light."

Oh. It suddenly dawned on her. Looked like the caramels didn't need to melt in her pockets after all. There's someone to share. Focused on this, she strutted toward Hope without offering prayers to the Yggdrasil first, which raised question to said boy.

"Light?" he carefully asked, stance a little guarded.

"Here." Without any further explanation, she held out the remaining caramels in her hand.

Hope, not expecting the turn of events at all, stood stunned for two seconds before blinking at the offered sweets. His mouth formed the most intelligent answer ever existed. "Huh?"

"Remember that girl earlier?" He nodded. "Well, have some. I'm not going to eat the whole things myself."

"...oh. Thank you." Hope swiped the caramels off her hand and opened one.

Satisfied to see her mission completed, Lightning finally turned back to her usual spot before the Yggdrasil and offered the Eradia she collected for the day. She sure took her time to assess the new flower blooming on the life tree and contemplate at some things, but when she turned around to speak to her only companion, she found the boy chewing at the recently received caramels slowly, diligently. She stared. Stared some more.

And somehow, for the following days she always made sure to have some caramels stashed neatly in her pocket at 6 a.m.


	21. letter

**Title: To Learn Something New**

Author: Vianna Orchidia / Annasthacy Chashyme  
Fandom: Final Fantasy XIII Series  
Character: Lightning Farron, Hope Estheim  
Rating: K+  
Genre: General  
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy XIII is property of Square Enix. I do not own the series and the characters, and I do not gain any profit from this fanfiction

Warning: soulmate!AU

* * *

 **letter** /let·ter/ _n_ a direct or personal written or printed message addressed to a person or organization

Hope Estheim never fancied himself as a supernatural believer—no, quite the opposite, he's a man of logics and answers and it was his job to decode the impossible into possible—but for this time, just this one time, he knew there would be no logical answer.

It started on one rainy afternoon, his apartment offering shelter and warmth after a field day at work (he would never, ever understand the higher-ups who insisted on doing a field day under pattering rain). Everything seemed normal—he unlocked the door, turned on the air conditioner, and peeled off his wet clothes. After a nice hot shower he went to the kitchen to set up a mug of steaming tea. Then, with the mug in hands, he sat down in the living room and got his laptop started.

That was when he spotted an envelope on top of a shelf.

It was weird. He was fairly sure there was nothing there that morning, when he went to work. With questions still racking his brain, Hope took the envelope and carefully opened it. The envelope itself was plain white, the kind you can buy at convenience stores, but the letter inside was a little different. The paper was gradient pink in color, and it had a faint scent of roses. The writing was ink black, shaped like it was done with an ancient pen rather than modern-day ballpoint. But more than anything, the message was what did Hope in.

「She is near.」

 _What? Who is near? And why is it important that she is near?_ Baffled, Hope slouched back on the couch with heavy breaths. _Who in earth could have sent this message? How did they put it inside my apartment? When? What does this all mean?_ His mind's gears worked in full speed trying to decode this phenomenon, but as he listened to his own breath the solitude of his apartment, he found no answer. And like any other human being when facing a weird condition with no explanation, his brain unconsciously resorted to the primitive solution: this was supernatural.

If he thought that would be the end of his supernatural experience, well, he was wrong. It was only the beginning.

When Hope got home the following day, this time a little after dusk and way more exhausted than yesterday, he was greeted by the same white envelope sitting conspicuously on his shoe rack. He immediately tore it open and pulled out another gradient pink paper with a short sentence written on it.

「She is almost here.」

Yeah right. Hope decided not to give too much thought into the message (mainly because he needed a hot shower and dinner and sleep very soon) and threw the letter onto the living room's table where yesterday's letter was still on. As he sank his head on the pillow later that night and drifted slowly into slumber, somewhere in the back of his mind he wondered what tomorrow's message would be.

Sure enough, an envelope sat waiting for him on the shoe rack again (perhaps the sender finally understood that the chances he found the letter would be higher if placed on that particular spot). Today he's not so tired and there was no homework, so he picked up the envelope and read it on the couch, mimicking his posture at the first day.

「Tomorrow.」

It was almost like a promise. Hope felt his heart beating a little faster at that. _What is going to happen tomorrow? Is it about that 'she'?_ He should have been a little concerned—he didn't know whether this letter spoke of good things or bad things, after all—yet he felt strangely happy with the prospect of something happening tomorrow.

That night Hope fell asleep with pleasant expectations. That night he dreamed of a promise, made in the far away past and possibly different universe.

The following day was Sunday. Hope spent a good part of the morning for sleeping in and a lazy breakfast. He had no plans for today except doing some reports, maybe making some progress at that journal he started a month ago, and waiting for this 'tomorrow' the letter spoke about.

At eleven, his doorbell rang once. It was a rare sound, because as a single man with few friends he rarely had any guest. It crossed his mind for a second that this was his moment of truth, his answer for the letters. The doorbell rang once again.

Hope didn't even bother with the peephole before opening the door. There, in front of his apartment, a woman stood with a scrap of paper in her hand, someone looking for an address. With a quick glance, Hope took in her appearance. Her white coat reminded him of the white envelope and her rose-colored hair was the perfect same shade of the letter.

This is _the_ 'she'.

"Light," he muttered, out of breath all of a sudden, as that woman smiled at him. He didn't even know where that name came from, his mouth just moved.

She shook her head, almost exasperated but still smiling widely. "What, so it's you, Hope."

Her tone took him by surprise. She later explained, after making herself comfortable on his couch, that there had been this letter giving her an address. His address. That's why she set out to find this address, wanting answers for her own questions—about who sent it to her, and how she knew his name like they're the best of friends even though it's not even included in the letter.

Hope couldn't answer. She didn't mind.

So in the end, supernatural things had played a big role on his meeting with his future partner for life.

* * *

A/N: I... have no answer. This was 'supernaturally' written after a session of frustration breakout this morning. Maybe, just maybe, this is inspired by soulmate!AU prompt I saw on tumblr about a compass.


	22. chapter

**Title: To Learn Something New**

Author: Vianna Orchidia / Annasthacy Chashyme  
Fandom: Final Fantasy XIII Series  
Character: Lightning Farron, Hope Estheim  
Rating: **M**  
Genre: General  
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy XIII is property of Square Enix. I do not own the series and the characters, and I do not gain any profit from this fanfiction

Warning: Glorious smut ahead. Go back or skip if you're underage.

* * *

 **chapter** /chap·ter/ _n_ one of the main sections of a book; a period of time that is very different from the period of time before it

Hope pulled back from his woman, lips tingling with the aftertaste of rosebud and a little piece of heaven, while his eyes fluttered open just in time to catch the subtle way his woman's slightly puckered lips following his, as if asking for another kiss then another and _another—_

He gasped. She gasped.

They stayed in lingering silence after both were lucid enough to sit straight again—eyes not really meeting but their fingers intertwining. Hope greedily sucked in air to calm his one-hundred-per-second heartbeat. He still felt like he's awake in a dream. The slender hand in his grasp still felt like something he conjured up in his mind only. The taste of her lips was fading away and he fought with all his might to stop his body from leaning in to find hers again. This was too much; he was becoming overwhelmed.

"Hope." Her voice was loud, clear, maybe a little detached because there was this edge of _desire_ there—but clear nonetheless. She demanded immediate attention. To which he answered almost involuntarily. "This is real," she then whispered, to him as much as to herself. "I'm real."

And Hope knew it. It just felt odd, to have her this close, to have her lips' taste on his, after one thousand years of waiting and grieving. He was so used to being alone, being unattached to other people for the later part of his life, so the intimate company (of hers, to top) was still unfamiliar. It was an unfamiliarity he was more than welcome to adapt to, though. A beginning of a new chapter he was more than glad to write about, alongside this woman he loved oh so very _much_...

So he nodded. Squeezed her hand once, then mumbled, "Light, I..."

"Shh."

After that they fell back into silence, now more comfortable than haunting. But both knew there was _that_ tension inside their brief touch. (A good tension, Hope surmised with a wry smile.) He wanted to kiss her again. Perhaps kiss somewhere beside her lips (everywhere beside her lips sounded good enough). The want hit him in torrential waves that it scared him a little, though a part of him reasoned that it was normal because they were male and female and _human_ , humans had needs and _feelings_ —

He lifted their intertwined hands, and placed an open-mouthed kiss on her knuckle. That seemed to broke the trance between them and spurred things into action: Lightning all but threw herself onto his lap with an audible inhale, Hope crushed her body into his until they both moaned. (Was that her breasts? And her hips was sensually pushing against his. Damn it felt _good_.)

Moans and sighs filled the room. When he pulled back, and this time his woman wasted no time to latch her lips onto his neck instead, Hope wondered briefly if the neighbors could hear them. But, well, his was such an elite apartment so there was no way the walls could be _that_ thin—he never heard anything from his neighbors either, so yeah—and with that answer, he focused back to his lovely lover who was apparently busy unbuttoning his shirt with trembling fingers. Hope always thought that nothing could deter this woman, at least not something as earthly as undressing her partner, but there was the proof of his wrong. He caressed the small of her back as he watched her work.

 _Lightning was so beautiful._

"Do you want to watch me undress, or you gonna do it yourself?"

Her clipped voice pulled Hope from his reverie, and he smiled nervously. He barely realized that his shirt was now one foot from the couch. It was now her turn. Of course he was going to do it, undressing this gorgeous woman was one of what his dreams were about, after all. Giving her mouth a soft kiss as apology, he easily pushed her white coat off her body. The simple sleeveless shirt she wore underneath met the same fate in a matter of seconds too.

As he worshiped the bare skin above her bra with kisses, Hope heard her small laugh. He looked up questioningly.

"I see you have latent skill of baring a woman, Hope," she remarked, amused, with cheeks and ears and neck painted slightly red. Her eyes was shining with lust, hard and obvious even through the layer of rose-colored bangs. If Hope had thought she was beautiful, now she was sexy and seducing.

Lightning brushed the platinum strands of his hair, slowly massaging his shoulders, all the while wearing that cheeky-but-hot-as-fuck smile. Her hips made shallow moves against his. Groaning, Hope could feel the rush of blood primarily inhabiting his face now heading south. He knew she knew that he had a full erection now.

"Fuck, Light, I want to take your pants off too."

The blatant need inside his words and voice sent shivers along her spine—he could feel it under his fingers, still seeking home on the base of her back. She kissed him, hard, then taunted in his ear, "Who said you can't?"

Taking it as an encouragement, Hope shifted and pushed his woman back until she was sandwiched between the couch and his body. He snaked his hands on her bottom, hooking fingers on the hem of her khaki pants and pulled them down her legs, only to throw them to the growing pile of clothes on the floor. The sight of her almost naked was a major turn on, Hope decided. The expanse of soft, creamy skin was tantalizing, and the knowledge that it's now his to touch freely made his member twitch in excitement. He let his hands roam everywhere on her body while his lips were busy containing all sounds from her small mouth. He reached behind her back to unfasten her bra, and then moved lower to take her underwear off. Once the last of her clothes was safely tucked on the floor, Hope pulled back just enough and stared, his jaw slack and a string of saliva running down his chin.

Lightning squirmed under the weight of his eyes. "Do you... do you like what you see?" she stumbled upon her words.

The platinum head raised an eyebrow. "Like? Light, this is all I've ever wanted for a millennium." Noting the way his woman narrowed her eyes, Hope sheepishly added, "all right, maybe not really a millennium; only after I was old enough."

She sighed. "I can't believe you went on for literally a thousand years loving me..."

"Me neither. To be honest, I thought it was a mere crush that would fade quickly, or that I'd get tired of it and just move on... But you see, my heart didn't agree." Hope chuckled before leaning down and kissed her cheek. "My heart didn't want to let go."

Lightning turned her head to catch his lips with hers, and kissed him gently, though not less passionately. "Thanks Hope, for not letting go," the barest whisper was all she could muster under the onslaught of warmth inside her chest. Her voice was a little shaky. "Now go ahead and claim what should have been yours since a long time ago."

That was everything he needed to hear. Like a flash he slipped a finger into her wet folds, earning a high-pitched cry from Lightning. At first he wriggled it around her hole, and after familiarizing himself with the interior, he began thrusting it back and forth. His movement was fast and desperate, and he added another finger after a while. His other hand and mouth worked in tandem to give attention to her breasts. He took a nipple into his mouth, alternating between sucking and circling his tongue around it, while his hand kneaded the breast steadily.

As Hope gave her seamless pleasure on her body, Lightning could only grasp hopelessly on his head, pushing his mouth to take her breast deeper, and bucked her hips in time with his thrusts. She didn't even care to keep her voice in check. And when Hope began rubbing her clit with his thumb, her body tensed even more, without words telling the man that she was going to cum.

Not going to miss her first orgasm with him, Hope gave her nipple a particularly hard suck before pulling back and reaching a vantage point to watch her whole body. He kept his hands moving, assaulting her erogenous points, until Lightning clutched her eyes and screamed his name to the ceiling.

"Yes, oh, _Hope_!"

The sight (and sound) was almost too much. Lightning was so gorgeous like that.

Hope let her ride her orgasm with slower, gentler thrusts of his fingers. Only when she started squirming uncomfortably did he pulled out, with a kiss on her mouth. "How do you feel?" he asked gently.

"Mmn. That was so good, Hope." She was slightly out of breath, her temples were drenched with sweat, but you know, she was the best highlight of his life. He wouldn't trade her with anything else. Hope leaned down, letting their foreheads touch, and grinned.

This new chapter was going to be a long, most welcome one.

* * *

A/N: was gonna continue this until the real deal but I suddenly lost the mood so that's all I have. By the way, I wrote this in a whim, late at night, because I was frustrated for not writing anything for two months. Never once I expected this; even the foreplay alone reached 1,500+ words... I was astonished.


	23. understand

**Title: To Learn Something New**

Author: Vianna Orchidia / Annasthacy Chashyme  
Fandom: Final Fantasy XIII Series  
Character: Lightning Farron, Hope Estheim  
Rating: K  
Genre: General  
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy XIII is property of Square Enix. I do not own the series and the characters, and I do not gain any profit from this fanfiction

Warning: set during the ending of LR.

* * *

 **understand** /un·der·stand/ _v_ to know the meaning of (something, such as the words that someone is saying or a language); to know how (something) works or happens; to know how (someone) thinks, feels, or behaves

The crystal shattered into waves of light, afloat and swimming into the lifestream. The group of saviors laughed and tried to follow the current with their eyes, mesmerized. It was when Mog turned his body and said sadly, "I'm going with them, Kupo," that they broke out from the daze.

The eidolons, the trustworthy ally who had fought with them right until the end, materialized then. Hope was able to flash a smile to his big friend—one so full of gratitude and perhaps melancholy because he knew this meant farewell—as Alexander drifted further from his body. Each of the eidolons gave a curt nod to their respective master before dispersing into the lifestream as well. Suddenly there was an odd relief, a hollow space inside Hope's body, the place Alexander just left open. It's sad, but farewells were necessary for embracing the new world.

The last eidolon to vanish was Odin. The white knight spent more time to bow respectfully before Lightning. They were comrades, fighting arm in arm for a distinctly longer time after all, Hope thought. As Odin stepped back, Hope watched Lightning close her eyes in deep reminiscence. There were tears cascading her cheek, and he stared in wonder. This Lightning was not afraid to show her soft side, and for him, she looked a million times stronger than before. Something bursted in his chest—and then he saw Lightning turning to them, her eyes still glassy but her lips curled up into the slightest smile. She was so beautiful.

"It's time," she said. With gentle movement, she beckoned the others to her—which, of course, Snow responded by poking Serah forward first. They floated upwards, in a way that made the rest of the group believe that _yes_ , they were finally going to the new world after years of endless battles. Sazh and Dajh, Yeul and Noel, Snow and Hope, and Fang and Vanille—they all followed the Farron sisters.

Hope was surprised, also a bit annoyed, when Snow also gave him a push while flashing a knowing grin before taking off himself. Hope couldn't deduce right then what that smirk meant. Only when he turned his head did he realize that while Serah was obviously reaching out for Snow, Lightning was opening her arms for _him_. So that's why Snow was grinning that much. Hope wanted to say some rebuttal to him but well, Lightning was waiting and there's not really any time left, so he decided to just ignore Snow and focused his eyes to the rose-haired savior.

She was smiling, ever so slightly, when Hope's hand touched hers. Somehow, if he were to describe her smile then, it was one of nostalgia. It made Hope choke back, his chest twisting in a lovely feeling of finally reuniting with the one he missed all these years, and he just needed to say something to find his sanity again.

Their surrounding was quickly dissipating into light particles. He knew he needed to be quick, before they too leave the old world. But he couldn't find his voice. It was like all feelings suddenly came back crashing to him, sweetly overwhelming his not-yet adult form. In his struggle, suddenly Lightning clenched his hands, not hard enough to hurt yet enough to halt the thousand gears running inside his brain. She flickered her eyes. Just like that, he calmed down instantly.

She understood.

And then, their souls were swept away, embracing the brand new world.

* * *

A/N: I have actually wrote something about this quite a while ago, and when I saw this prompt I just thought the idea would match well. But I didn't remember, like at all, where I put that scrap of paper from the while back so I had to start from a scratch. It was annoying, lol, so I got kinda held back. In the end I still think the (lost) original version is better! /sobs


	24. remember

**Title: To Learn Something New**

Author: Vianna Orchidia / Annasthacy Chashyme  
Fandom: Final Fantasy XIII Series  
Character: Lightning Farron, Hope Estheim  
Rating: K+  
Genre: General  
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy XIII is property of Square Enix. I do not own the series and the characters, and I do not gain any profit from this fanfiction

Warning: high-school AU, but read A/N below for more info

* * *

 **remember** /re·mem·ber/ _v_ to have or keep an image or idea in your mind of (something or someone from the past)

It was almost strange, if not downright ridiculous. You know, there was this slight pull at his heartstrings at the mere sight of the new student. She was pretty, yeah, especially that rare rose-blonde hair, but come on, Hope Estheim did not value girls based on their looks alone. He's sure he was different than the boys currently leering at her, but this nagging feeling deep inside his chest made him wonder, maybe he's not so different after all? Maybe he's also attracted to the pretty face and was experiencing a subtle sexual response?

"Hey, Hope," Anthony, his seatmate, elbowed him on the rib. Hope cried out lowly in pain. "Watch the eyes, buddy. You're staring. She's gonna eat you alive like she did those guys there."

Hope whipped his head to the aforementioned group of guys. Sure enough, the new student was giving them the meanest, iciest, scariest glare of the year that it sent the jocks teetering away from her immediate vicinity. Now _that_ 's something. Hope was sure no one would dare to as much as look at her anymore. _Jab_. Anthony shook his head. Ugh, maybe 'no one' did not include him necessarily. How embarrassing.

To make matter worse, the girl seemed to notice him staring this time.

The weird thing, she didn't give him a death glare—and for his part, the incessant tugs became stronger as he suddenly felt _nostalgia_. He didn't exactly remember per say, but he just knew this meeting was long overdue. This meeting was planned, was promised, since before he was born into this life. Maybe somewhere between life and death, between one lifetime and another.

* * *

A/N: To tell you the truth, the idea for this piece stemmed from a fanfic called "Love, Hope" by Advocaat. I hate crying so much each time I finish reading it so I made a selfish attempt envisioning how Hope and Lightning meet again in their next lives. I want a happy ending for the babies, thank you very much. But now I'm crying because I can't write as beautifully as Advocaat so yeah. I'm so sorry.


	25. signal

**Title: To Learn Something New**

Author: Vianna Orchidia / Annasthacy Chashyme

Fandom: Final Fantasy XIII Series

Character: Hope Estheim, Elida

Rating: K

Genre: General

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy XIII is property of Square Enix. I do not own the series and the characters, and I do not gain any profit from this fanfiction

Warning: Me trying to write soulmate AU. Light is not even mentioned here, oh la la.

* * *

 **signal** /sig·nal/ _n_ something (such as a sound, a movement of part of the body, or an object) that gives information about something or that tells someone to do something

* * *

It was not supposed to be like this. Hope stared at his mark, a small red lightning bolt on the outside of his left wrist, in horror. Next to him, an equally horrified girl clenched the seams of her skirt until her knuckles went white. Both were silent, drown in their thoughts, until Hope gathered his courage and turned to his girlfriend.

"Elida."

The girl flinched, fearing what he was going to say. The soul mark had not appeared on her skin. Besides, that lightning bolt really had nothing to do with her, so it was a dead give away. He was not her soulmate, nor was she his. She knew Hope loved her, at least as much as a teenager could mean, but she also knew the silver-haired boy believed in the power of soulmates.

He was so going to break up with her.

"No, Hope. I don't wanna break up with you!" she screamed before her boyfriend could say anything else. Soon her breath turned into light sobs and she covered her face with her hands. "I don't wanna lose you...!"

On the other hand, Hope was completely thrown off. He didn't expect Elida to react so strongly. But then again, they had been childhood friends before lovers, so it might have been a given she understood what he was going to tell her. What he had decided deep in his heart. Such a world-changing decision, which people might find ridiculous, but it was something he had personally believed in since forever. He was going to find the lightning bolt girl. No matter what Elida said, no matter how badly he hurt her.

"I'm sorry, Elida," he muttered. Oh how he meant it.

"No," she whimpered. "No. Please."

Hope sighed, not knowing how to console the broken-hearted girl. For a second he considered pulling her into an embrace, but he threw the idea out right away because in this state, such action would only scar the girl further. He didn't need to remind her that the affection, the adoration for her was still there; nothing'd changed, except that Hope was ready to store them away as friendly feelings while he searched for his soulmate. In the end, he opted to repeat the apology. "I'm sorry."

Elida slowly raised her head. Her eyes were red and the sight made Hope's heart sting. "Is there no other way?" she whispered brokenly.

"You know I promised my mother to find my soulmate."

"B-but there is no guarantee you'll find her soon, or that you'll love her and marry her or—" the poor girl choked on her tears. "At least let me stay until you find her?"

Hope grimaced. "It's just gonna hurt you more, Elida. You can't."

"This is stupid, Hope!" she screeched, throwing a comforter at him. "What's so special about a mark, huh? Why should it dictate us? Why should it tear us apart?"

She was answered by a silent, guilty-looking Hope. His down-turned lips showed his dismay at the turn of events, but his eyes were resolute. Nothing would budge him. The path was set on stone as soon as the mark appeared on his skin. Elida cursed indignantly because she had lost her chance to some unknown being even after working hard building chemistry with her silver-haired childhood friend. Without sparing another glance to Hope, she snatched her handbag and bolted for the door.

Just before the door closed behind her, she heard the boy spoke.

"I wish it was you."

But then everything would be simple, and the world never chose easy.

.:.:.

A/N: Oh wow. Halfway there! Reviews are much welcomed.


End file.
